Assemblyman Dinowitz Gets Tough with Sex Offenders

Sex offenders prohibited from working at day camps and driving ice cream trucks

July 22, 2005

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz announced that several pieces of legislation passed by both the Assembly and Senate aim to get tough with sex offenders. The governor is expected to sign this package of legislation into law.

Assemblyman strongly supported legislation that would require day camps and overnight camps to run background checks on prospective staff members to determine if any are registered sex offenders. Another piece of legislation would prohibit registered sex offenders from driving retail ice cream trucks. Assemblyman Dinowitz also supported legislation that would strengthen New York’s Sex Offender Registration Act, known as Megan’s Law.

Assemblyman Dinowitz stated, “Sex offenders cannot be allowed to stalk our streets, playgrounds and neighborhoods. New York State has taken aggressive steps to prevent and punish these predators – and to protect our families. I find it unacceptable to have sex offenders working at camps. And I find it unacceptable to have sex offenders driving ice cream trucks. This package of legislation is a common-sense response to disturbing revelations involving sex offenders. I support taking tough, aggressive steps to prevent, punish and monitor sex offenders who stalk our communities.”

Another piece of legislation supported by Assemblyman Dinowitz would ban the use of public funds for sexual performance products for registered sex offenders. It would prohibit public funding of drugs, such as Viagra or for other procedures or supplies intended to treat erectile dysfunction, for registered sex offenders through state-funded health insurance programs, including: Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus, Healthy NY, individual enrollee direct payment contracts and EPIC.